bets are lame
by derekstilinksi
Summary: While hanging out with Jake, Noah starts to wonder if he was a bet to Jake like Emma was to Will.


**I've been wanting to write this really bad haha hope everyone enjoys it :)**

"Why does Branson even assign this stuff, it's _so_ boring," Jake whined, flopping down on the couch at Noah's work with the boring novel that Branson thought was oh so interesting. Noah rolled his eyes, shifting on the couch a little so his back leaned against Jake's chest. Jake's arm rested behind him, on his shoulders as Noah 'tested' out a game and some new controllers the store had just got in. He had been doing this the majority of the day when Jake stopped by to hang out. Thankfully, it was a very slow day and for the most part, the store was completely empty.

Jake had told him it was getting boring just sitting at his house and waiting for Noah to come by after work. So he just thought he'd hang out _at_ his work. Well, he was technically supposed to studying, but he had started slacking off about an hour ago.

Now he was mostly just complaining about said studying. And a little bit of trying to bribe Noah into helping him through kissing.

Usually Noah would, since he sometimes got tired of the games and he actually enjoyed some of Branson's assignments, but today he had something on his mind. Some little nagging thought that was stuck in the back of his mind ever since he heard about Emma being Will's bet from Nina.

He just couldn't get it out of his head that maybe... maybe he had been a bet too...

Jake had asked him out pretty out of the blue, with no prior hints to him liking him before in anyway, let alone romantically...

Thoughts raced through his mind of Jake and his friends laughing about how Noah had actually believe that their relationship was real. His hands started to shake slightly while his mind continued to make up scenarios.

He must have gotten lost in his thoughts because he heard a blast on screen that was his character dying. He glanced down at the controller, realizing that his hands hadn't moved on the buttons for some time.

Noah jumped when Jake spoke up, having noticed that he was distracted, "Hey," Jake nudged his shoulder, hoping to get Noah's full attention, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing's wrong," Noah stared down at the controller, knowing Jake wouldn't believe him. "Nothing."

"Ouch, one too many, babe," Jake said and Noah suddenly became very aware of the pet name for the first time even though Jake had used it many times before, "Come on, tell the Jake," He nudged Noah with a teasing smile. Noah looked up in his general direction with a small smile.

Noah shook his head slightly, "It's really nothing, the Jake," he responded in the same playful tone. When Jake raised his eyebrows at him, Noah sighed, "Okay, it is actually something, but it's a stupid, irrelevant something. It doesn't matter." _Please drop it, Jake,_ he thought, holding the controller a little bit tighter.

Jake frowned, he could practically see the gears in Noah's mind turning and he could see the grip on the controller tighten. He knew Noah stacked defenses high when he didn't want to talk about something, but the wall he built was made out of paper, not concrete.

Jake set down the book he was supposed to be reading and pulled the controller out of Noah's hands, intertwining their fingers after setting it next to his book. "You can tell me."

Noah sighed, looking down at their hands, suddenly thinking he was just being stupid. Of course Jake liked him, it was obvious, wasn't it? He was so sweet when he wanted to be, holding his hand and trying to fix what he didn't even know was wrong. Driving all the way to his work just so he could hang out while Noah played video games.

Of course, he could also be an asshole, but then again so could Noah.

Jake squeezed his hand, seeing the conflict on his face, "Noah?"

Noah kept his eyes downcast, the hand not being held by Jake awkwardly fidgeting and messing with their intertwined fingers. He didn't want to say anything, it'll make him look like he doesn't trust Jake. Though he's not always entirely sure he does...

"I've just been thinking lately," he started softly, and Jake pushed back the urge to throw in a sarcastic comment, "Ever since Emma told me about her being Will's bet, I've been worried... and I keep trying to tell myself I'm just being stupid, but..." he paused and sighed softly, bringing his voice down to a small mumble and Jake could tell exactly where he was going with this, "I'm starting to get scared that I might have been a bet too."

Jake eyebrows slowly knit together as Noah spoke. He remained silent, unsure if he was waiting for Noah to maybe continue or if he just didn't know what to say.

Noah beat him to it though.

"It was stupid, Jake, seriously don't worry about it."

Jake shook his head, "It's not stupid, babe," he said it quietly, unsure if Noah even heard him. Jake shifted their bodies so he could look at Noah's face. The position they had in made it seem like Jake was having a one sided conversation with the back of Noah's head.

Noah let himself be moved, but he kept his head down, hoping to avoid eye contact the whole conversation. He mostly just wanted it to end though. Jake apparently had different thoughts because Noah found his chin being raised slightly and turned by Jake's hand so he would be looking in his general direction.

His eyes flickered to Jake's just for a moment but that was enough to see the small amount of hurt and worry in them. He regretted everything in that second and immediately looked anywhere but Jake's eyes. He tried looking at his lips instead, but that seemed counterproductive so he finally settled on his forehead.

Jake's mind worked feverishly to think of what he could tell Noah to end this conversation in a good way. He licked his lips as he looked for a response that would reassure his boyfriend that he cared about him and that he was not being stupid. Personally, he thought this conversation was anything but stupid, but Noah was usually more insecure than him.

Jake could easily see the insecurities painted on Noah's face now and it was killing him that he was actually the cause of those.

He could definitely see where Noah was coming from, why he thought this was all some stupid and mean prank. Jake had been nothing but a jerk to him since almost as long as they've known each other. And their relationship didn't really make sense to anyone that knew either boy even a little. The asshole basketball jock with the smart to the point of being creepy gamer nerd? That was a pairing straight out of tv and not necessarily the good kind.

But Jake still cared about him and it didn't matter if they were a cat and a dog, to him, their relationship made enough sense. He wasn't too sure if Noah felt the same way, but maybe Jake could change that if he chose the right words.

Noah swallowed thickly, fearing all the possibilities that Jake could say. He had to bite his lip to keep from protesting as Jake opened his mouth.

"You might not believe this, but," Jake licked his lips, pausing to look at Noah's eyes, "Nina had no interest with me before dying, whatsoever, besides the video stuff. She didn't want to sleep with me and mess with me like she did with Will, I was just one her little pawns to get more money. Which, at the time, I was pretty pissed, because, come on, who wouldn't wanna sleep with the Jake?" He motioned to himself with one hand, smirking at Noah who just barely cracked a smile, obviously not impressed. Jake cleared his throat, "Anyway. Nina didn't think I was worth fucking with, literally and figuratively, and she only knew of you because of Audrey so she wouldn't get any gain from betting me to ask you out."

He paused, "Plus if she did, I probably wouldn't have done it. If I really didn't like you, do you really think I would have gone out with you on a bet?" He asked rhetorically, Noah shaking his head slightly, "And since Brooke was never one for bet/fake dating, the only other people that could have bet me to date you is Will or myself. Or Tyler, but I would punched him if he even joked about that so." he paused to let Noah consider this.

Noah searched Jake's face for any kind of sign of lying. When he found none he looked into Jake's sincere eyes, finding it comforting now that he knew he wasn't gonna get dumped for being stupid. He found himself talking, "And Will wouldn't make someone else have to do what he did. And you...?"

Jake smirked and shrugged slightly. He squeezed Noah's hand, resting his other on the side of his face. His thumb gently rubbed over the soft skin of his cheek, sending a small shiver up Noah's spine. He leaned forward just enough so he could just barely move and their lips would be touching. Close enough that Noah could practically feel Jake's whisper on his lips more than he could hear it, "Dating on a bet is lame," before Jake slammed their lips together in a less than chaste kiss.


End file.
